Japan -- Foreign relations -- Korea; Korea; Korea -- Foreign relations -- Japan
Meantime, however, other invitations to speak in the capital city of
Korea had been received and were waiting for their turn. Soon after our
arrival, one of the Japanese pastors called to say that it had been
arranged for me, by one of the teachers, to address the patronesses of a
school for Korean girls bearing the name, and profiting by the favors, of
Lady Om. Although other plans had previously been made, in order to save
her reputation with the “leading lady” of Korea, a rebuke was sent to
this teacher for engaging her speaker without first consulting him; but
the invitation was accepted. [In justice to the Koreans, it should be
said that the person guilty of this indiscretion was a Japanese. Indeed,
to pledge the speaker, and even to select his time and topic for him, is
a sort of morally doubtful enterprise, out of which even the New Japan
has not as yet wholly emerged]. The talk at Lady Om’s School was in no
respect a success. Although both substance and style were made as simple
as possible, the Korean girl who had studied abroad and was, therefore,
thought competent to interpret, completely failed in this office. And
when the Japanese pastor, who had mediated the invitation, followed with
an address in his native language which was to convey the substance of
the same thought to the Japanese teachers and patronesses of the school,
he delivered so prolonged and brilliant an oration that the speaker whose
few simple words served as a text for it all, was obliged to commit a
breach of etiquette by leaving before the customary sequence of cakes.
In addressing Japanese audiences in Seoul, as elsewhere in Korea and
all over Japan, I felt entirely at home. It was characteristic of them
in this foreign land, as it was in the home country at the same time,
that they were, above all, desirous to hear the subjects discussed about
which I most desired to speak. The day when the nation had expected a
full salvation from “science” and military prowess, without morals, has
happily gone by. Its leaders, whether in educational circles or in the
army and navy, in civil service, and largely, too, in business, are
becoming convinced that the “spirit” of Japan must be revived, retained,
made more comprehensive, purified, elevated; if the triumphs of war are
to be followed by the wished-for successes in the ensuing peace. Thus
in Korea, as everywhere from Nagasaki to Sapporo, in primary schools,
commercial schools, and in the university, I found the interest of the
Japanese in ethical subjects supreme.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account